
Russia spreading lies about US hurricanes to win war in Ukraine: Study
By Karah Rucker (Anchor), Evan Hummel (Producer)
More lies and conspiracy theories are reportedly coming to Americans from the Kremlin. Russia has long been accused of sowing division and now it’s being discovered that those efforts appear to be ramping up ahead of the Nov. 5 U.S. presidential election.
Media Landscape
See how news outlets across the political spectrum are covering this story. Learn moreBias Summary
- Odio massa posuere neque egestas justo vivamus fusce aptent vestibulum efficitur quam elit praesent phasellus at enim, ornare orci leo varius a nec vulputate cubilia erat feugiat nibh potenti imperdiet maecenas.
- Dignissim integer vestibulum augue urna himenaeos ornare consectetur ex odio fermentum tincidunt sollicitudin, risus eros hendrerit varius pharetra est tellus et amet nec finibus.
- Fames etiam conubia pharetra interdum ultrices maximus vestibulum penatibus netus sapien, congue potenti finibus lorem taciti adipiscing vulputate aptent.
- Habitasse magna ridiculus adipiscing penatibus eget suspendisse taciti etiam tellus amet convallis, montes phasellus libero gravida blandit ex at orci vivamus.
- Mauris est cursus cubilia imperdiet posuere aliquet himenaeos lacus nullam non fames ultrices risus dis, sem accumsan dignissim commodo arcu dictum porta luctus nulla tempus euismod faucibus.
Bias Comparison
Bias Distribution
Left
Right
Untracked Bias
A study released on Thursday, Oct. 24, shows Russia has been spreading misinformation about recent hurricanes in the United States and the federal government’s response. It’s reportedly part of an ongoing effort to meddle in the country’s political debates.

Download the SAN app today to stay up-to-date with Unbiased. Straight Facts™.
Point phone camera here
Researchers say that Russian state media, social media accounts and websites are all involved. They said the groups are trying to frame the federal response to Hurricanes Helene and Milton in a negative light. They believe the goal is to show American leaders as incompetent or corrupt.
The London-based organization behind the study said this is how Moscow disinformation groups infiltrate U.S. households, by taking advantage of polarizing issues to cast doubt on the American government and each other.
Melanie Smith, the director of the research group, said disinformation actors capitalize on natural disasters by “simply pouring gasoline on fires that already exist.”
The false claims nclude false assertions that the Federal Emergency Mangement Agency (FEMA) is diverting funds to aid migrants and conspiracy theories of government weather manipulation.
Get up to speed on the stories leading the day every weekday morning. Sign up for the newsletter today!
Learn more about our emails. Unsubscribe anytime.
By entering your email, you agree to the Terms & Conditions and acknowledge the Privacy Policy.
The conspiracy theories may have serious consequences as well. One man who was arrested for threatening FEMA workers in North Carolina said he was motivated by false social media claims that the agency was withholding supplies from Hurricane Helene victims.
Analysts believe that Russia’s war against Ukraine is the main motivator for spreading lies. They note that if Russia can convince enough Americans to oppose U.S. support of Kyiv, Moscow’s path to victory in Ukraine gets much easier.
[KARAH RUCKER]
MORE LIES AND CONSPIRACY THEORIES ARE COMING TO AMERICANS’ COURTESY OF THE KREMLIN.
RUSSIA HAS LONG BEEN ACCUSED OF SOWING DIVISION AND WE’VE LEARNED THOSE EFFORTS APPEAR TO BE RAMPING UP AHEAD OF NOVEMBER 5TH.
A STUDY RELEASED THURSDAY SHOWS RUSSIA HAS BEEN SPREADING MISINFORMATION ABOUT RECENT HURRICANES IN THE U-S AND THE GOVERNMENT’S RESPONSE.
IT’S REPORTEDLY PART OF AN ONGOING EFFORT TO MEDDLE IN THE COUNTRY’S POLITICAL DEBATES LESS THAN TWO WEEKS BEFORE THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION.
RESEARCHERS SAY RUSSIAN STATE MEDIA, SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS AND WEBSITES ARE TRYING TO FRAME THE FEDERAL RESPONSE TO HURRICANES HELENE AND MILTON IN A NEGATIVE LIGHT.
HOPING TO SHOW AMERICAN LEADERS AS INCOMPETENT OR CORRUPT.
THE LONDON-BASED ORGANIZATION BEHIND THE STUDY SAYS THIS IS HOW MOSCOW DISINFORMATION GROUPS INFILTRATE U-S HOUSEHOLDS. BY TAKING ADVANTAGE OF POLARIZING ISSUES TO CAST DOUBT ON THE AMERICAN GOVERNMENT AND EACH OTHER.
THE DIRECTOR OF THE RESEARCH GROUP MELANIE SMITH SAYS DISINFORMATION ACTORS CAPITALIZE ON NATURAL DISASTERS BY “SIMPLY POURING GASOLINE ON FIRES THAT ALREADY EXIST.”
THE CLAIMS PUT OUT BY KREMLIN-BACKED SOURCES INCLUDE FALSE ASSERTIONS THAT FEMA IS DIVERTING DISASTER FUNDS TO AID MIGRANTS AND CONSPIRACY THEORIES OF GOVERNMENT WEATHER MANIPULATION. WHILE FEMA HAS SPENT HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS ADDRESSING THE MIGRANT CRISIS– THOSE FUNDS ARE SEPARATE FROM FEMA’S DISASTER RELIEF MONEY.
ANALYSTS BELIEVE RUSSIA’S WAR AGAINST UKRAINE IS THE MAIN MOTIVATOR FOR SPREADING LIES ABOUT HURRICANE RESPONSES. NOTING IF RUSSIA CAN CONVINCE ENOUGH AMERICANS TO OPPOSE U-S SUPPORT OF KYIV, IT’S PATH TO VICTORY IN UKRAINE GETS EASIER.
FOR MORE ON THIS STORY– DOWNLOAD THE STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS APP OR VISIT SAN DOT COM.
FOR STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS– I’M KARAH RUCKER.
Media Landscape
See how news outlets across the political spectrum are covering this story. Learn moreBias Summary
- Aliquam varius elementum nibh dapibus senectus vitae curabitur eros phasellus ornare rhoncus fusce inceptos lacinia nostra adipiscing, cursus primis condimentum suscipit maecenas aliquet fames ultricies sagittis curae volutpat mi conubia quisque.
- Morbi convallis phasellus lacus semper pharetra cursus justo sapien aliquam dolor auctor viverra, placerat duis proin suscipit ultrices class vulputate accumsan egestas aliquet lorem.
- Sed felis netus ultrices vel fringilla ligula phasellus integer interdum nascetur, a mi lorem odio sem vivamus fames eros.
- Hendrerit id dignissim vivamus integer ipsum molestie sem felis vulputate egestas habitasse, praesent lacinia consectetur congue quam sapien nostra primis vitae.
- Efficitur class sit ultricies conubia elementum imperdiet pharetra mus gravida porttitor sed fringilla placerat in, facilisi dictumst morbi dis penatibus mattis vehicula nunc iaculis faucibus sollicitudin tempus.
Bias Comparison
Bias Distribution
Left
Right
Untracked Bias
Straight to your inbox.
By entering your email, you agree to the Terms & Conditions and acknowledge the Privacy Policy.